Antibiotics Review
Course #55074 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Choosing an antibacterial agent can be challenging, given the wide array of drugs available. Learning the important properties and uses of these drugs is made easier by the fact that they are grouped in classes based on their biochemical structure. Members of a drug class share characteristics such as clearance, mechanism of action, absorption, and side effects; knowing these shared properties makes it easier to choose the appropriate agent for a particular patient. In addition, it is easier to quickly grasp the strengths and weaknesses of a newly marketed antibiotic if you understand the general pharmacology of its class. A good grasp of the use of specific agents to target specific bacteria leads to improved clinical response to treatment and a decrease in the likelihood of the development of microbial resistance. This course is intended as an overview of the general characteristics of the major antibiotic classes, with a brief discussion of the individual agents and indications, giving greater perspective to the actions and characteristics of antibiotics. Due to the large number of antibiotics available, this course focuses on eight major classes of antibiotics: the penicillins, cephalosporins, other beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, quinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. A brief discussion of vancomycin and the newer glycopeptide analogues is also included.
- INTRODUCTION
- GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTIBIOTICS
- ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
- CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-ENGLISH-PROFICIENT PATIENTS
- PENICILLINS
- CEPHALOSPORINS
- CARBAPENEMS
- MONOBACTAMS
- AMINOGLYCOSIDES
- MACROLIDES
- QUINOLONES
- SULFONAMIDES
- TETRACYCLINES
- VANCOMYCIN
- ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES
- PLEUROMUTILINS
- INVESTIGATIONAL ANTIBIOTICS FOR DRUG-RESISTANT MICRO-ORGANISMS
- CONCLUSION
- Works Cited
- Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations Citations
This course is designed for dental providers who prescribe and administer antibiotics to patients.
The purpose of this course is to provide a review of the major classes of antibiotics and their characteristics as well as an overview of selected individual agents within each class that are most useful for today's clinical practitioner.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the general characteristics and mode of action of antibiotics commonly in use.
- Employ best practice principles for limiting the emergence and transmission of antimicrobial-resistant strains within the healthcare environment, including in surgical practices.
- Discuss the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, and spectrum of activity of natural and extended-spectrum penicillins.
- Select the most appropriate, cost-effective cephalosporin based on "generational" characteristics and spectrum of activity.
- Describe the role of carbapenems and monobactams.
- Discuss the characteristics, expected toxicities, and indications for the use of aminoglycosides, macrolides, and sulfonamides.
- Outline the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, and advantages inherent to quinolones and the tetracyclines.
Donna Coffman, MD, attended medical school at the University of Louisville and completed her residency in Family Practice at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. She is board-certified in Family Medicine and currently on staff at John Cochran VAMC in St. Louis.
Contributing faculty, Donna Coffman, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.